To Listen Requires Two
by NejiHina100
Summary: Alternative to 'Her Handsome Hero'. Belle stays and listens to Rumple explain why his dark magic can't be turned to light, why he signed the contract, and why he took back the power of the Dark One. Will she finally begin to understand, or is her way the only way?


Alternative to 5x17, Her Handsome Hero. While searching for answers Rumple tells Belle the whole story about the contract. After hearing the truth she comes to understand why he made it. Rumple also explains to her why she can't turn Dark into Light, but only use it for light purposes. If the they seem a little OOC, I apologize. I just need this to work.

* * *

Belle flipped through dusty page after page, looking for any possible clue that could help her and Rumple free their child of the contract in Hades' possession. But they found nothing. Rumple slammed another book down, earning a glare from Belle. Whether it was for mistreating the book or his unwillingness to continue searching, he didn't care.

"This won't work, Belle." He said.

"It has to. We just need to keep looking." Belle replied, placing the book he threw aside back in front of him.

"Belle, this won't work because you're asking for the wrong thing."

"You mean trying to save our child?" She asked in a ludicrous tone.

Rumplestiltskin sighed. "No. Turning darkness into light."

"Merlin said-"

"I don't care what Merlin said!" He retorted loudly. He looked her in the eyes. "You _can't_ turn darkness into light."

"Okay, this was a mistake. We obviously can't work together."

Belle turned around and began walking to the door until Rumple stopped her.

"Will you at least please hear me out?"

She stopped and looked back at him.

"You're always asking me to listen to you, why should it not work both ways?"

"Because every time I listen to you, I end up getting fooled."

"You're fooling yourself into believing you can do something that is fundamentally impossible."

"How exactly is it _fundamentally impossible_?" She laughed, floored by the notion.

"Belle," Rumple stared at her, hoping to will her attention into remaining on his words. "Being someone who has used magic for over three hundred years, has it ever occurred to you that I _might_ know something?"

Belle watched him, and he could see her slowly turning her body back to him, thankful his words sparked some sort of curiosity in her.

She sighed. "Very well. How is it fundamentally impossible to turn dark magic into light?"

"Darkness and light are the two basic elements of magic. They have existed for a _very_ long time. Since the beginning. It's called a balance, something Regina had trouble understanding and focusing on."

"Rumple, you use dark magic all the time. I have never seen you use light magic."

"Healing…is light magic. I don't have light magic, I know that. My powers are dark. But the basics of healing someone is the concept of light magic. The best way to explain it is there is a bit of light in dark magic, and vice verse. The two can't exist without the other."

"Then it is possible to turn darkness into light." She said.

"No."

"Regina had dark magic and she turned it into light when she fought Zelena."

"Regina was born with magic. I was not. Regina's magic is just that. Magic. It can be either dark or light, depending on what she uses it for. When she became the Evil Queen and set out to destroy Snow White and everyone else, her magic became dark. When she sought to stop her sister and save the town, it became light. My magic is because of the Dark One's curse, created from nothing by darkness. There's a difference. If this was my own magic, then yes, I could turn it to light. But it's not my magic, it's the Dark One's."

Belle blinked as he continued, beginning to understand what he was trying to say.

"This magic," He said, holding up a ball of dark swirls in his hand to demonstrate, "Is nothing by darkness. It can't be turned into light. And that's what you're asking me. _However_ ," He quickly added as Belle opened her mouth to interrupt. "I can use it for light purposes. For example, saving our child from Hades. I think that qualifies as a light purpose."

"Rumple, I won't allow you to kill anyone."

"Who said anything about killing?" He shrugged his shoulders.

Belle sighed. "Then what did you have in mind?"

"I'm glad you asked." He smiled smugly. "Leverage."

"Leverage?"

Rumple nodded. "Yes. Hades…loves Zelena."

"Yeah, I…kind of know that already. Me and the others."

"And Hades will do anything for her. Why? I can't imagine, but he will." He said. "All we need to do is offer Zelena's freedom in exchange for him ripping up the contract. Easy. And…no magic involved. At least, nothing that involves harming others."

Belle thought for a moment, thinking over the plan. "How do you know it will work?"

"We can only try."

She scoffed. "So, with your plan you're willing to try, but not mine?"

Rumple sighed. "Did you not hear me explaining to you why your plan wasn't possible?"

Belle licked her lips. Fair enough. She paused, thinking over the idea one last time before answering, "Fine. We can try it your way, but Rumple, if you use dark magic-"

"I already told you my magic _is_ dark, but I promise I won't hurt anyone if not necessary."

"You shouldn't hurt anyone period." She exclaimed.

"And if Hades decides to do something to you? What, you just want me to let him? If he hurts you, Belle, I will hurt him. I think that's fair."

"This isn't about what's fair, Rumple. It's about what's right."

"Please." Rumple hissed. "You're dealing with Hades, Lord of the Underworld. He doesn't do what's right, or what's fair. He plays by his own agenda and his own pleasures. Much like me."

Belle scoffed, agreeing to that.

"So, the only way to defeat him is to play by his own game?" She clarified.

"Correct."

"And you really think he will rip up the contract if we offer him Zelena?"

"I do." He said. "I've seen how he talks about Zelena."

Belle sighed. A part of her didn't like the idea of holding someone ransom, but it was Zelena they were talking about. While she didn't believe the witch deserved to die, at least not anymore after seeing how much she cared for her own daughter, there was one thing she wasn't sure about.

"And what about Zelena? Does…"

"Yes." Rumple said, answering her unspoken question about whether the witch loved the lord of the dead too.

She let out one final breath. "Fine. But you can't harm Zelena."

Rumple blinked. He had expected that and while he hated that thought, this was for Belle and their child. He already lost one child to the witch, he wouldn't lose another. And he would if he didn't promise Belle this one thing.

"Deal."

"Fine. So, how do you expect to capture Zelena?"

"I know someone down here that could help."

"Who?"

"My father. Peter Pan."

"Peter Pan?! And what makes you think he will want to help?"

"He already offered it. A peace agreement of sorts for something in exchange."

"And what was that?"

"A living heart so he could return to the living world. Of course I won't give it to him." He replied, easing the quick rush of fear and worry in Belle. "But I can deal with him afterwards."

"You mean, kill him?"

He stared at Belle, cocking his head. "He's already dead."

"Oh, right."

Rumple smiled. He didn't know much about pregnancy, in fact nothing at all, but he had heard a few tales. One of those was that once a woman was pregnant, the hormones, or child some teased, started taking away logical thinking of the mother. Of course he knew Belle was far, far, too early for that to start happening, but he still found the idea rather funny.

"So how do we contact your father?"

Rumple walked over to the counter and pulled out a box. He opened the lid and lifted the reed pan flute.

"With this. All I have to do is give it one blow, and he'll come."

Belle nodded. "Alright. So…do we do it now?"

He shrugged. "We can. If you're ready."

"Wait." She stopped him, placing a hand on his arm as he lifted the flute to his lips. "There's just one thing I want to know before we do this."

"Alright, what is it?"

"Why did you sign that contract?"

Rumple sighed, setting down the flute.

"I mean, we wouldn't be in this situation if you didn't sign away our unborn child." Belle said.

"Belle, you have to understand, it wasn't like that."

"Than what was it?" She asked, her frustration over the news and situation bubbling back up after being calmed down to a numbing pain. "Why would anyone make such a contract?"

"I've already told you, Belle. Baelfire was sick."

She huffed. "It still doesn't explain-"

"I had nothing else."

Belle paused, the words ringing in her ears. Nothing else? What could he possibly mean by that?!

"Milah didn't love me. She hated me, despised me for being a cripple and a coward. There was no chance we could ever have a child together. I was poor, weak. All I had was my son. And he was dying."

Rumple took her hands in his, hoping to help her understand. She looked at him, but not with pity. Though there was certainly lots of confusion, pain, and anger.

"Belle, I hadn't even met you yet. You weren't even born. I hadn't even met Cora, and I wasn't even the Dark One yet. I had no money, no name to myself but a coward, no magic. No wife or marriage, nothing. Just Baelfire, and he was dying. We went to this healer to try and find a cure, but the price was far more than we could afford. Without the money he wouldn't give the cure to us."

"So, you just gave away your second born child?"

Rumple bit his lip, trying to regain some more patience. Belle was smart, but he knew very well that she had a tendency to assume far too much without really thinking or hearing the whole story.

"No. Milah first wanted me to kill him."

"But you did. Right?"

He scoffed. "Again, I wasn't the Dark One then. I was a coward, not a murderer. I was afraid to even touch the knife Milah bought with our last penny. She wanted to kill the healer in his sleep and take the cure. But once I got there, I couldn't do it." He shook his head. "The healer, Fendrick, realized that I was desperate enough to actually kill him for the cure, even though I couldn't go through with it. So, he offered me another option. I sign over my second born child to him and take the cure."

"But why?" She pleaded with tears in her eyes. "Why would you do that?"

"It's as I said. I had nothing but my boy. A wife who hated just looking at me. Why would she want another child with me? And besides, it was for _my_ second born. Not hers. Milah could go out and have another one, if she wanted. I never foresaw become the Dark One, or Cora…or you. A second child just wasn't in the future. So the contract seemed like a good idea if it could save the one child I _did_ have. That's why I signed it. It was the only option to save Bae."

Belle started to cry. After hearing that tale, she could understand why Rumple would make the deal. She wasn't by far agreeing with it, but she understood now. Enough of it at least.

"Belle, I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen."

"But I don't understand, how does Hades have the contract now?"

"When I met Cora, and I thought we were in love, I…had hoped, we would have a child together."

"So you killed the healer to make break the contract."

Rumple nodded. "I never imagined being in the Underworld. I never imagined Hades gaining control of the contract. I never imagined any of this. How could I?"

Belle wiped her tears. He was right. No one could have predicted this. Not even Rumple with is foresight.

"But why did it have to be our child?"

"I'm so sorry, Belle. I truly am. But I will fix this, I promise."

Belle nodded. "I know."

She understood now. She understood everything. She laughed.

"What it is?" Rumple asked.

Belle shook her head. "I…I've just been so…stupid. I jumped to conclusions."

"You had every right."

"No, no I didn't, Rumple. I should have known you would never do this to our child."

"Not intentionally."

Belle laughed, even if this wasn't a funny moment. She wiped the last of her tears and looked up at him. "But you still haven't explained why you took back the curse. Rumple, you were finally a good man. Why did you take it back?"

"I was lonely."

"What?"

"Belle, I wasn't a _good_ man without the curse. I was just…a man. A coward, cripple. Everything I was before I was ever the Dark One."

"But you don't _need_ the magic."

"Belle, I don't want to argue again."

"But I want to understand. You told me I fell in love with the man and the beast, but that's not true."

"It _is_ true. I was a beast when we met and fell in love."

"Rumple, I saw a good man." Belle insisted.

"Yes, perhaps you did. But I was still the Dark One, I was still the beast. And perhaps there was still a part of me that could be a good man, but…"

"But?"

Rumple sighed, looking in her eyes. "That man was weak. He was afraid. I…I don't want to be afraid."

"Then don't be."

"It's not that easy! I can't just…be someone else. I can't just be someone I don't want to be."

"You don't want to be a good person?"

"I don't want to be a coward. Belle, with magic, I don't have to be. I can be someone who protects you. I love you. I love you more than you can imagine."

"But you love magic more."

"I love you both. With magic, I'm not weak. With magic, I can protect you, and our child. With magic, I can release the contract Hades has on the baby, but Belle, I can't do that without it. And I can't just be a good man because you want me to be. It's….it's not that simply. I….I need..help."

Belle gasped, seeing the internal struggle in Rumple's eyes. Those words, it was as if hearing them broke something inside her, and she started crying again.

"Perhaps one day I can be a good man. The man you deserved, but I've been this way for over three hundred years. I can't…"

"You can't just..turn it on or off, can you?"

Rumple shook his head. He hated seeing her cry, but was she finally understanding?

"No, I can't. You can't just tell me to be a good man. You can't just…will it because you want it that way. I need help."

"You need support." She cried. "And I haven't given it to you. Not the way a wife should."

"I haven't been the best husband either. I lied to you, deceived you. I've hurt you, Belle, and for that I am truly sorry. I wish I could go back and start this over."

"It's too late for that, isn't it?"

"I don't know."

Belle fell into his arms, crying against his shoulder. "I've been so stupid, so..naive. Rumple, I'm so sorry."

"I am too. I do love you, Belle. But I do love magic as well. I actually feel like I'm someone with it. I need it. I need it to protect the people I care about."

Belle cried, "Why? Why didn't you ever just tell me?"

"I tried. You kept walking away."

Her shoulders moved up and down and from the muffled sound that escaped her mouth, Rumple couldn't tell if she cried or laughed at his comment. He guess he didn't care. Belle finally listened to him. She finally understood. That was all he wanted. Who knew it would take a trip to the Underworld and their child in the hands of Hades for them to finally talk to each other.

Belle pushed back, looking back at him with tear stained eyes. Rumple wiped them with his hands.

"Perhaps, with some help, you can teach me how to be a good man." He said.

Belle smiled, nodding. "You were right before. You do know more about magic than I do. Perhaps, I should listen more."

They smiled.

"Why didn't we talk like this before?" She asked.

"Maybe that was our problem."

She nodded. "That and I wasn't there."

"Neither was I."

"No, but I was to busy running around with everyone else, trying to be a hero. I knew something was off about you. I should have known. You had just escaped Zelena. Gods only know what she did to you."

"Which is why I have no regrets with this plan."

Belle laughed. She was still slightly hesitant about ransom, but their child's life depended on it.

"I don't like Zelena, but I do think every woman deserves a chance to be a mother."

"Belle, she raped Robin to become pregnant just to spite her sister out of jealousy."

Belle opened her mouth and quickly closed it. "Okay, maybe her choices are questionable-"

"She crossed lines even I wouldn't." Rumple stated.

"Alright, fine. She's not a good person. And if you really think this plan will work-"

"I do."

"Then let's do it." She nodded.

* * *

Let me know what you think and if you want me to continue on with Gaston and capturing Zelena and the rest.


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